"Now Listen to Me... "
Just some thoughts on current happenings:
Classic film screenings from around the world this April include:
“THE LUBITSCH TOUCH”
In New York City, New York, Film Forum is presenting
“THE LUBITSCH TOUCH” from
Tuesday, April 7 - Tuesday, June 30
The programme reads:
13 sound masterworks, including NINOTCHKA, DESIGN FOR LIVING, TROUBLE IN PARADISE, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, THE LOVE PARADE, CLUNY BROWN, THE SMILING LIEUTENANT, THE MERRY WIDOW, ONE HOUR WITH YOU, TO BE OR NOT TO BE, and more!
“How would Lubitsch have done it?” asked a sign above Billy Wilder’s door. Ernst Lubitsch (1892–1947) was the first of the great European directors to establish himself in Hollywood and by far the most influential. Having made hit ribald comedies and triumphant spectacles in his native Germany, Lubitsch revolutionized American movies with a sui generis subtlety, style, visual wit, and sophisticated innuendo—“The Lubitsch Touch” (as definitive a trademark as Master of Suspense would be for Hitchcock) —inventing the modern movie musical and romantic comedy in the process.
In the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s, he was, with Cecil B. DeMille, the most famous director in Hollywood (in Preston Sturges’ SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS, Veronica Lake is desperate for a screen test with Lubitsch) and, such was his prestige, the only one to retain full artistic control throughout his career. Years after Lubitsch’s death, Wilder (an up-close observer as a two time scenarist for The Master) remarked, “For years we all tried to find the secret of The Lubitsch Touch. If we were lucky, we’d sometimes make a film like Lubitsch. Like Lubitsch, not real Lubitsch.”
Presented with generous support from the Robert Jolin Osborne Fund for American Classic Cinema of the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s
Click on the retrospective image for more information and on the Film Forum banner for other motion pictures playing this month.
In London, United Kingdom The Prince Charles Cinema will present The Bad Sleep Well (1960, a 35mm print) Wednesday, April 8, Sweet Smell of Success (1957, a 35mm print) Friday, April 10, Heat (1995, a 35mm print) Saturday, April 11, The Swimmer (1968) Wednesday, April 15, Ikiru (1952, a 35mm print) Friday, April 17, The Long Goodbye (1973, a 35mm print) Wednesday, April 22, and Harakiri (1962) on Monday, April 27.
* Note: Some of the showtimes are matinees only.
Click on the film’s respective image for more information. To see April’s complete programming, click on The Prince Charles Cinema banner above.
Pickpocket
In Bergen, Norway The Cinemateket i Bergen will present Pickpocket (1961) on Wednesday, April 8 and Friday, April 10.
For more information on this film’s showing, click on the movie image above. For further information on the other films presented at The Cinemateket, click on the banner image above.
In Sydney, Australia The Ritz Theatre will present Heat (1995, a 35mm print) on Friday, April 10.
Click on the film image for more information on this screening. For other films playing at The Ritz Theatre, click on the banner above.
In Hollywood (part of greater Los Angeles) California, The Vista Theater will present Pinocchio (1940, an I.B. Tech 35mm print) on Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12, both dates at 10 am only.
To discover more about the screening of Pinocchio or the other films playing this month at the Vista Theater, click on either of the above images.
In Los Angeles, California The Beverly Cinema will present Animal Crackers (1930, a 35mm print) on Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12 both dates at 2 pm only.
Click on the poster image for more information on this presentation. To see the rest of April’s schedule, click on The Beverly Cinema banner above.
The Long Goodbye
Sweet Smell of Success
Odds Against Tomorrow
In Hollywood (part of greater Los Angeles) California, The American Cinematheque Egyptian Theatre will present The Long Goodbye (1973, as part of ‘NOIR CITY: Hollywood 2026’, with a Live musical performance by pianist Chris Dawson, a Q&A with actor Elliott Gould, Moderated by Eddie Muller) Saturday, April 11, Sweet Smell of Success (1957, as part of ‘NOIR CITY: Hollywood 2026’, with a Live musical performance by pianist Chris Dawson, an Introduction by Alan K. Rode) Saturday, April 11, and Odds Against Tomorrow (1959, as part of ‘NOIR CITY: Hollywood 2026’, with a Live musical performance by pianist Chris Dawson, an Introduction by Alan K. Rode and Shari Belafonte) on Sunday, April 12.
* Note: Some of the showtimes are matinees only.
For more information on these programmes, click on the appropriate film image above. To see the entire month of April’s programming including other films showing at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, Aero Theatre in Santa Monica (also part of greater Los Angeles), and The Los Feliz 3 Theatre in Los Feliz (also part of greater Los Angeles), click on the American Cinematheque banner.
Calamity Jane
In San Francisco, California, The Roxie Theatre will present Calamity Jane (1953, a 35mm print) on Monday, April 13.
For more information on this showing, click on the movie image above. For more information on the other films being presented at The Roxie, click on the theatre picture.
In Detroit, Michigan The Redford Theatre will present Pandora’s Box (1929, with live organ accompaniment by Donnie Rankin) on Saturday, April 18.
Click on the top image for more information. To see the entire month’s programming, click on The Redford Theatre banner above.
In theatres across the U.S. Flashback Cinema is presenting Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986, celebrating the film’s 40th Anniversary) on Sunday, April 19 and Wednesday, April 22.
Click on the poster image for more information on this screening. To see the entire month’s programming, click on The Flashback Cinema banner above.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
In Culpeper Virginia, The Library of Congress at the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Packard Campus Theater is presenting Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966, a 35mm print) on Thursday, April 23.
Click on the poster image for more information on this film’s screening. To see the rest of April’s schedule, click on the Packard Campus image above.
In Auckland, New Zealand, Academy Cinemas is presenting Lawrence of Arabia (1962) on Sunday, April 26 at 12 pm only.
To obtain more information on any of this programme, click on the poster image. To see April’s complete schedule, click on the Academy banner above.
Sunrise
In Lyon, France the Institut Lumiere is presenting Sunrise (1927, with Piano accompaniment by Didier Martel, as part of its FILM CONCERTS AND SILENT FILMS series) on Sunday, April 26 at 2:30 pm only.
Click on the film image above for more information on this screening. Click on the Institut logo for all of the films showing this month.
In theatres across the U.S., Fathom Entertainment is presenting The Silence of the Lambs (1991, a 35th Anniversary presentation) on Sunday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 29.
Click on the respective image for more information on this screening. To see the next few month’s schedule, click on The Fathom Events banner above.
Ace in the Hole
In Valencia, Spain, Culturarts Generalitat IVAC – La Filmoteca at the Edificio Rialto will present Ace in the Hole (1951, as part of their BILLY WILDER series) on Tuesday, April 28 and Thursday, April 30.
Click on the film’s image for more information on this screening. To discover more of April’s programming including other films playing in Valencia, Spain at the Edificio Rialto, Castelló, Spain at the Raval Theatre and the Paranimf of the Universitat Jaume I, and in Alicante Spain at the Arniches Theatre, click on the banner image above.
In Como (part of greater Perth) Western Australia, The Revival House will present Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992, a 35mm print) on Wednesday, April 29.
Click on the poster image for more information on this screening. To see the other films showing this month, click on the theatre banner above.
In Hollywood (part of greater Los Angeles), California TCM is having its annual Classic Film Festival Thursday, April 30 to Sunday, May 3.
For the complete schedule, sans any last minute additions, click on the image above.
These are the reviewed films showing on Turner Classic Movies in the U.S. for the remainder of this month:
My first TCM film to see is the late Mike Hodges’ 1971 Neo-noir triumph Get Carter which is reviewed as a Blu-ray recommendation here. Viewers can get Carter Saturday, April 11 at 5 pm PDT.
Michael Caine
In 1966, one of the more challenging films to face off against the Production Code (mentioned in Exploring the Artefacts #3: Code Breakers) was that year’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, previously reviewed here. This film remarkably delivers all of the guttural force of its theatrical origin while creating a more intimate, and cinema appropriate, dynamic all its own. Let the “games” begin Sunday, April 12 at 12:30 pm PDT.
Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton
A true romance film and of the highest artistic calibre has been reviewed in Opening Up a Treasure: Brief Encounter. Director David Lean's stirring "encounter" will begin on Saturday, April 18 at 7:15 pm PDT.
Barbara Stanwyck stars as a devoted wife trying to save her husband (played by Barry Sullivan) but equally determined to match wits against killer Ralph Meeker in order to do so, in the previously recommended (here) noir, 1953's Jeopardy. This life or death struggle will commence Sunday, April 19 at 3:30 pm PDT.
Ralph Meeker, Barbara Stanwyck
Next is Strange Cargo which I previously listed as one of my TOP TEN Guilty Treasures. "Strange" is the word for this uneasy but fascinating blend of religious parable, hardened convicts, a test of survival and wisecracking romance. Strange Cargo will dock at TCM Thursday, April 23 at 2:45 pm PDT.
(From left) Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Peter Lorre
As mentioned in my review of 1933’s Baby Face, this next film offers a sort of male version of the same goal: to climb the corporate ladder. Plus, it is sure to succeed as a fun and lively musical to watch. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967) was previously reviewed here. Lessons will begin on TCM Sunday, April 26 at 5 pm PDT.
1983’s Academy Award winner for Best Motion Picture went to Terms of Endearment, reviewed briefly here, and showing on TCM Thursday, April 30 at 5 pm PDT.
(From left) Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine
TCM's current monthly schedule can be confirmed by clicking on any of the above TCM related images. To confirm the correct Pacific Daylight (West Coast) showtime information, subtract 3 hours from the Eastern Daylight (East Coast) showtime listed on TCM’s schedule.
The Soundtrack recommendation of the month is John Barry's dazzling score to the seventh instalment in the James Bond series, 1971's Diamonds Are Forever.
Despite the return of Sean Connery as British super spy James Bond, Diamonds Are Forever marked the beginning of an overabundant comical tone that would continue to upset the series’ delicate balance of dangerous dealings with sly satire for some time to come. Any gravity left in 007’s exploits has been wiped out due to the predominant parody on display. Even Connery, when defending Roger Moore’s subsequent takeover as Bond, bemoaned this film’s prevailing jocular tenor in what was supposed to be (until 1983’s non-Eon produced Never Say Never Again) his last 007 outing. It’s an element that undermines both the intentions of His Majesty’s Secret Service and those criminal entities seeking huge sums of power and profit. After all, why should we care about the objectives of either friend or foe when the storytellers fail to do so? Diamonds Are Forever also marked the first time absence of supervising editor and one-off director Peter R. Hunt (See: Exploring the Artefacts #8) the real unsung hero behind the franchise who in the past, as others voted for broadened humour, lobbied successfully to keep it out. Alas, not this time.
Fortunately, John Barry contributed his customarily bravura score full of grandiose and stellar themes including its sumptuous title track sung by the illustrious Shirley Bassey.
La-La Land Records, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Universal Music Enterprises have released this 55th Anniversary remastered and expanded (but limited to 5,000 units) 2-CD soundtrack. Click on the image for more information and ordering.
This month's Happy Birthday shout-out goes to the lovely and immensely talented actress Kirsten Dunst who turns 44 on April 30th.
She made her acting debut in the 1989 anthology film New York Stories (as Lisa’s Daughter in the “Oedipus Wrecks” segment directed by Woody Allen). Dunst also demonstrated her youthful acting skills in The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), most impressively as the child vampire Claudia in Interview with a Vampire (1994), the young Amy March in Little Women (1994), and Judy Shepherd in Jumanji (1995). Subsequent films that have benefitted from her dedication to crafting authentic characters include The Virgin Suicides (1999), Dick (1999), The Cat’s Meow (2001), Spider-Man (2002), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Marie Antoinette (2006), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Melancholia (2011), Hidden Figures (2016), The Beguiled (2017), The Power of the Dog (2021), and Civil War (2024). TV viewers may recall her memorable roles in ER (1996-1997), Portlandia (2014), and Fargo (2015).
Brief Encounter (1945)…
… previously mentioned as a TCM movie to see this month and reviewed here, is April’s Blu-ray (Criterion Region A) recommendation as well. It is now available from Amazon.com by clicking on the image below.
A.G.